After three years of wanting to ride Spain’s best trails, I finally got there last week for five days. I had heard a lot back from the guys in the club who had been over there a couple of times previously so there was only one thing I could do- build up a new bike! We arrived to a very wet Malaga airport and our guide Simon, to transport us to our villa for the week. We quickly went about building up the bikes and got out on our first ride. Lee, the other guide, brought us on a 9K climb with a fast, relatively easy descent to ease us in.
On the next day we were greeted to glorious sunshine and a massive ride up the infamous ‘Google Mountain’. It started off with a 15K fireroad climb, then a fast, fun descent before climbing a further 9K up a viciously steep fireroad. My memory is a bit vague here as I have attempted to block out the pain but the descent was UNREAL. So long, steep, loose and full of drops off. Really all or nothing stuff!
Another of the days was a short 3 hour one where we climbed to the top of a really fast, tough descent during the day and then did the descent as a night spin! This was one of the highlights of the trip for me. Night riding in good weather is so different to what we do back here!
On the final day we did the big, windmill to beach spin. This was absolutely unreal. Lots of steep, tough, technical climbing and fast, flowy, technical descents. What I loved about the descents in Spain was how they were constantly changing. They might start off fast and flowy, then get really steep, then into tech rock garden sections and so on. So enjoyable and no room for error with 50 foot drops only inches off the singletrack. I was farely shattered at the end of the trip and happy we didn’t go for the full week in the end. I reckon I would have needed a rest day or two as I was definitely becoming worse as the trip went on. Freeride Spain- highly reccommeneded! Just don’t expect much from the food, organic as it may be! Cheers Cormac, Graham and Fergal for a memorable holiday.
Leinster League Round One
Just thought I’d write a quick report of Leinster League Round 1 in Bunclody, Wexford. I’m not going to include much detail as I’m only an almost average writer and others have talked in depth about it all over the place.
I dusted off the Rocky Mountain race bike the night before to find the rear mech wasn’t working and that the bars were insanely narrow and flat. I had to mutulate the trusty Ragley for parts to get ‘er up and running for my first race in a long time. I can’t believe I rode ‘er for so long like that. Feels freaky twitchy now! Bit like myself after a couple of triple espressos and a vokda redbull.
The track was really good fun. A long uneven fireroad followed by a descent, a tough double track climb and another descent. The descents were deceivingly difficult with a slippery top layer of mud and some really steep sections to catch you out.
At half one my expert race got underway and I found myself leading for a bit. I was feeling alright and led all the way up until a bit before the first singletrack where a couple of the lads upped the pace and beat me into it. I rode the singletrack pretty poorly all day. Smoothly enough but damn slow. So much so that I ordered a riser bar to make ‘er more like the Ragley as soon as I got home! But anyway, the next few laps went by without incident really. I was pushing hard but I didn’t seem to have that little extra bit of power to jump out of the saddle and sprint the top bits of the climbs. I finished feeling pretty O.K in fourth place. Lesson learnt- I’m ride myself into the ground this Sunday in Carlingford! Think I was holding back somewhat last weekend, for no reason. But I’m going to have my determined face on Sunday. Congrats to 795 Racing- superbly run event and the thai food at the end really set the bar for the rest of the series.
This week has been nothing but arseing about and catching up on college work. Serious study will have to start on Tuesday as exams start 27 April!
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